Obf. II. the fenfes, while with the eyes it fixed the mind of the adorer, might give warmth to his vows, and energy to his worship. As that fecret propenfity, (by which all ages and all nations have been led to the involuntary veneration of some unknown fuperior power,) fuggested language to their hopes and wishes, to their fear and gratitude; the impatience of their paffions foon found a local habitation and a name to the objects of their adoration, to the rulers of the feafons, and the guardians of their public and domeftic happiness. The variety of their wants and fituations, the many peculiar, local cuftoms and interefts, multiplied the number of their deities and particular countries, cities, and villages placed themselves under the protection of some peculiar divinity.

The efficacy of external representation taught them to embody the virtues and vices, the faculties of the mind and the affections of the heart. Thus were the paffions realized, and new life given to all the diverfities of human action. The fecrets of Morals,

king to the imagination, than to e gaudy tablet of the unlettered

dy of thefe Mythological Antiquihes thus connected not only with nd Morals, but with the Hiftory Politics of the firft Ages. Egypt, arent of Grecian learning and renstituted nothing, fays PLUTARCH, a reafon, nothing merely fabulous: religious rites and ceremonies had refpect to morals, or to fomething in Life; and many of them bore fion to fome part of the phyfical ny of the Universe, or confecrated emory of fome fact in Hiftory". cred allegorical traditions of remote y, and in the fables founded on them lified by the glowing fancies of later s wrapped up the history of primi, , and original inftitutions. To re

Περι

Ισιδος xay Origidos, ed. Squire, p. 17.

move.

Obf. II. move the veil, which involves the primitive tradition; to feparate the acceffory fictions, which were annexed to them by the Greek Poets; to point out the gradual acceffions, which they have received fince the first Ages; and from the whole to extricate the fimple truth of History; has been the employment of fome diligent writers amongst the ancients, and many of the wisest amongst the moderns: and constitutes a very interefting part in the study of Antiquities .

The ftudy of ancient Mythology is ufeful not only in explaining peculiarities of ancient manners and cuftoms, but frequently difcovers the origin of customs which have defcended to present Times.. "The Grecian Mythology, says "MALLET, (Northern Antiquities, tranflated by Dr. PERCY. "Vol. II. p. VIII.) may have been ftudied in order to dif

cover the origin of customs ftill exifting in Europe. It can"not indeed be denied, but that it is often necessary to recur "thither, in order to explain fome peculiarities of our manIners, of which it is eafier to discover the caufe, than to "afcertain the reafon," There are innumerable modern cuftoms, (fays Dr. TAYLOR, on the Civil Law, p. 357.) “which, though fomewhat alienated from their original defign and "institution, retain however fo much of their old feature

and complexion, as to claim an indifputable relation to "fome Roman or Grecian Solemnity." The Dr. in the courfe of his long and intimate acquaintance with the Greek and Roman writers had collected a great number of paffages to confirm this obfervation, which he has frequently inculcated in his Elements, ice p. 357, 302, 310, 386, 399, 446, 447.

pc

ythological Antiquities; in pointher caufes, befides the enigmatical rious humour of the Egyptians, tributed to multiply the monftrous their worship. The Roman Emways jealous of that turbulent and province; in order to prevent the s tendency of its untractable spirit, no opportunity to encourage that f religious worship, which so often the astonishment and contempt of tions; and gave rife to perpetual n amongst themfelves. And thus, em of Mythology, venerable in its arly periods from its connexion with and Manners, and its reference to ft ftriking appearances, of Nature, as pleafing to the fancy by the richd variety of its imagery, appears to rung from the united effort of PhiloSuperftition, and Politics.

that the study of them is esteemed an introduction to the history of Arts and Sciences, and their origin. The Statuary of other nations is acknowledged to have owed its rife to the Egyptian mummies; as, to their facred fculpture the first rudiments of Alphabetic writing.

This has been fhewn with much ingenuity by M. le Comte de CAYLUS, in his Recueil d'Antiquites Egyptiennes. Yet it does not feem abfolutely neceffary that the ftatuary of other nations (though its origin be attributed to Egypt,) fhould have been derived immediately from the mummies. Love, affection, and refpect, were probably the causes, which first gave rise to the imitative arts of Painting and Statuary. The fame motive which induced the maid of Corinth, (for fo the Greeks will have it, and who would wish to difpute that claim, which by particularizing the origin, gives to the fiction an air of probability, and renders the circumftance interefting and poetical,) to preferve the outlines of her lover's fhadow, fuggefted to parental and filial affection the wish and means to preserve after death the image or real perfon of a father or a fon. The affections of grief and regret for the lofs of life, which could never be restored must have been more powerful in its effects, and therefore an earlier incentive to an art by which that lofs might in fome measure be repaired, than the fenfations of love and regard for the living, whose presence they enjoyed, and who, if abfent, might poffibly return. And may it not be observed, as a collateral teftimony, that the first rude Effays of the Greek Artists